STRAW BALE PLANTER UPDATE – LOW TEMP OUTSIDE…

…BUT INSIDE THE STRAW BALES, IT IS 90 DEGREES!!

THIS MORNING AT 9AM, I CHECKED THE TEMP – OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WENT DOWN TO 30degrees LAST NIGHT.  THE GROUND SOIL TEMP MEASURED 40degrees AT 9am IN MY EXPOSED SOIL BEDS.  BUT, 6″ DOWN, INTO THE BALES, IT WAS 90!  THAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENTIAL I HAVE NOTED YET, a 50 degree DIFFERENCE!

THE BALES ARE NOW ENCLOSED IN THEIR COSY “GREENHOUSE” MATERIAL, LIGHTLY CLAMPED ONTO A PIPE CLOCHE, OPEN SLIGHTLY AT EACH END TO OFFER VENTILATION.  AS I STUCK MY HEAD INSIDE ONE END, I NOTICED A PERCEPTIBLE WARM AIR SPACE.  NICE WAY TO WINTER SOME VEGGIES.  LET’S SEE HOW THEY DO FROM HERE ON INTO COLDER WEATHER.  I WANT TO GET A SET OF THERMOMETERS & DO A BETTER JOB OF MEASURING THIS PHENOMENON.

THE SECOND BED HAS BEEN RIPPED BY RJ’S CHAIN SAW & IS READY FOR SOME MANUAL REMOVAL OF STRAW CHUNKS, THEN I’LL PUT IN MY SPINACH BABYS & SOME OTHER SEEDS.  BRAVING THE USUAL ADVISEMENT ON WINTER PLANTING, LET’S SEE WHAT THESE BEDS WILL DO!

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE FREY WINERY TODAY -

IT IS AN OLDER STRAW BED, MAYBE A YEAR OLD,

NICELY COMPOSTING INTO SOIL.

AN EXCITING EXPERIMENT!

MORE LATER,

ANNIEGREENJEANS